Cytokinins belong to one of the most important and well-known classes of plant hormones. Discovered
over half a century ago, cytokinins have retained the attention of researchers due to the variety of the effects
they have on the growth and development of vegetable organisms, their participation in a plant adaptation
to external conditions, and the potential to be used in biotechnology, agriculture, medicine and even cosmetics.
The molecular mechanism by which cytokinins function remained unknown for a long time. Things started to
change only in the 21st century, after the discovery of the receptors for these phytohormones. It appeared that
plants found ways to adapt a two-component signal transduction system borrowed from prokaryotic organisms
for cytokinin signalling. This review covers the recent advances in research of the molecular basis for the perception
and transduction of the cytokinin signal. Emphasis is placed on cytokinin receptors, their domain and
three-dimensional structures, subcellular localization, signalling activity, effect of mutations, ligand-binding
properties, and phylogeny.